Marcus Aurelius | Milton Brewery

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User Ratings & Reviews

Excellent imperial stout. Liquorice is the dominant characteristic, so if you don't like it, then this is not the beer for you. Body is quite light for an imperial stout and the alcohol doesn't dominate. Can't recommend this highly enough.

Pours like crude oil into the glass with little head or lacing but a stillness that you can get lost in and legs like a glass of Borolo (maybe not that leggy but nice still!) Aromas of Cocoa, molasses, Licorice, and a hint of coffee bitterness. the taste is similar but way more intence on the licorice slightly more on the Molasses and more of a sweet chocolate flavor at the begining with the same slight bitter coffee towards the end. An oily texture, Low carbonation and a fantastic full body, falls down the throat and filled me with warmth. A great beer that I will seek out in the future. Overall one that is again better than the sum of its parts.

Appearance: not quite pitch black, small head that has good retention but each bubble is surprisingly large, if that makes sense. Some lace.

Smell: coffee, chocolate, and a slightly off-putting sourness that is worrisome.

Taste: thankfully, the sourness that si hinted at in the nose does not follow through to the flavor. Coffee, chocolate, roast, and slight toast notes predominate. Pleasant. Bitterness is solid, but hop character is nondescript.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, silky, carbonation a little light, but as expected in the UK out of a cask.

This was the 5th beer tasted at the Pembury Tavern in Hackney, N. London, during its 3rd Beer Festival earlier this summer (18-22/07/2007). This spacious pub had rightly accumulated plenty of praises and awards for its contribution to the real ale scene in London. This time round, 15 festival beers were served on the handpumps at any one time plus 9 others on stillage displayed right beside the entrance! I was there on the last day so, alas, some beers were gone already. But still I had around 13 real ales to choose from!

A: coming a very very dark brown hue, next to black; the fluffy tan head settles slowly to a thin blanket to sustain throughout the drink.
S: English imperial stout's distinctive sourness of black prunes and dates with a touch of vintage wine vinegar comes hand in hand with very dark chocolates, vanilla-ish sweetness, and treacles. In the corner goes a deep and settled touch of alc.
T: nutty and woody upfront, plus plenty of old barrels' musty-saltiness and a vanilla edge as of new oak barrels; a more assertive presence of sour-sweet berry-fruits and prunes sustains underneath, while the mildly dryish palate of charred-wood and smoked maltiness linger very well behind, along with an inky taste like crushed black beans. Slightly sour-bitter fruity in the finish, yet plenty of hop bitterness follows closely.
M&D: full-bodied but not at all heavy, this is a silky smooth, delicious, rich, reasonably complex, but very easy-drinking imperial stout. The dry finishing touch makes it almost more-ish, which is rendered no less so by the nearly absence of alc.! Recommended w/o reservations.